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NCSC CEO discusses how the global threat picture remains unpredictable at Aspen Cyber Summit with fellow cyber security leaders.

Cyber security leaders from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance have made a rare joint appearance in public to provide a briefing on the evolving cyber threat landscape.

Felicity Oswald, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – was joined by counterparts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States on a panel session at the Aspen Cyber Summit on Wednesday 18^th September.

Speaking at the event in Washington DC, Ms Oswald outlined how partnerships with international allies, industry and academia are central to the UK’s approach to driving up cyber resilience and countering the threat from online attackers.

She discussed how the global threat picture remains unpredictable due to the increasing range of actors using cyber capabilities and how working with partners is helping the UK to tackle common challenges at scale - from managing the quantum threat to cryptography to the cyber skills gap.

The need for critical infrastructure networks to have a strong security baseline was also highlighted, given the particularly sophisticated threats posed by nation state attackers, in addition to cyber criminal activities and state-aligned actors.

NCSC CEO Felicity Oswald said:

“It is great to meet with counterparts from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, which continues to deliver tangible benefits for our nations' cyber security.

"In cyberspace, where there are no borders, collaboration with likeminded partners and allies is essential for driving up our collective cyber resilience in an ever-changing world.

“We are committed to sharing insights into the cyber threats we face and working together to identify solutions to tackle common challenges.”

NCSC CEO’s participation in the Five Eyes panel session follows appearances at other major cyber security gatherings in the US in recent months.

Earlier in September, Ms Oswald took part in a fireside chat at the Billington Cyber Security Summit where she shared insights about how the NCSC works to keep the UK safe online day to day.

She also participated in a panel on international efforts to counter ransomware - a threat which continues to pose an acute threat to businesses around the world.

In August, Ms Oswald also featured as a keynote speaker at the BlackHat USA conference in Las Vegas where she shared reflections on defending democracy and securing the UK general election on a panel alongside US and EU counterparts.